SAN MARTIN, Calif. – World No. 1 Lydia Ko birdied the 18th hole to cap a 2-under 70 in the third round Saturday that put her in the lead of the U.S. Women’s Open, bolstering her chance for her third major title in less than a year.

The 19-year-old Ko became the youngest woman to win a major last year at the Evian Championship and followed that up by winning the ANA Inspiration this spring. Now she’s in contention for her first U.S. Open title after failing to make the top 10 in her first four appearances.

Ko has a one-shot lead over 2009 winner Eun Hee Ji and Sung Hyun Park. Brittany Lang and Amy Yang are two shots back at 5 under and Angela Stanford is in sixth place at 4 under at CordeValle.

Ko’s week at the Open got off to a somewhat shaky start when she was tied for 52nd after a 73 in the first round in the difficult afternoon conditions.

But Ko got into contention with a 66 in the second round and then got right back to work on Saturday. She made a long downhill putt for birdie on No. 3 before losing a stroke with a bogey at No. 9. She made another birdie at No. 13 before her strong closing hole.

Even though the 18th is reachable in two shots, Ko opted to take three and it paid off when her approach stopped about 9 feet from the hole. She calmly sank the putt to give her sole possession of the lead. She then threw her ball into the stands in celebration.

Ji has been consistent all week. She has broken par all three rounds with a 69 and 71 in the first two rounds followed by the 2-under performance on Saturday. She is looking for her first LPGA Tour win since winning the Open at Saucon Valley seven years ago.

Park, playing her first U.S. Open and second major ever, got off to a solid start with birdies on the sixth and eighth holes to move to 9 under. But fortunes quickly changed at the par-5 ninth when she hit her tee shot into a hazard for a penalty.

She got onto the green with her fifth shot and two-putted for a double bogey that dropped her to 7 under and a tie for the lead with Yang, who birdied three out of four holes during one stretch on the front nine.

Park fell to 6 under when she bogeyed 14 after a drive in the rough but followed with a birdie and then another bogey as part of an up-and-down round.

Lang birdied 14 and 15 and had the low round of the day at 68 to move to 5 under. Lang finished tied for second as an amateur in her first U.S. Open back in 2005 but has only gotten in the top five once since then back in 2010.

“I’ve been here before and I think you really have to just get to work on what you’re doing, because if you spend a lot of time thinking about where you’re going to finish, you’re going to drop down pretty quick,” Lang said. “So just really do like I did today, not look at the scoreboard – it’s easier said than done.”

There are several other golfers lurking close enough to make a push on Sunday. Danielle Kang is at 3 under and fellow Americans Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis and Kris Tamulis are among seven golfers five shots back at 2 under.

“There’s no doubt I have to shoot at least 4 to 6 under, I’d say tomorrow to have a chance,” Kerr said. “It depends on the wind and the weather and the pins. Sometimes they like to set it up easier on Sunday and people get some low scores. I don’t know what they’re going to do, but I have to be prepared for anything. If the conditions are easier, I have to be prepared to go low.”

The highlight of the day might have been Lee Lopez’s ace on the 191-yard, par-3 12th hole. Lopez is at even par for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 75 on the day and is tied for 26th with Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., at 1-over 217.

World No. 2 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., are knotted at T58 after matching rounds of 76.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Brooke Henderson from Smiths Falls, Ont., has partnered with Google to become a brand ambassador for Android Wear. The 18-year-old who captured her first major at June’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the first LPGA player to partner with a smartwatch platform.

Google’s platform for smartwatches – Android Wear – offers several golf apps to help golfers; they can analyze their swings, keep scores and statistics, and track shots. Android Wear powers smartwatches by brands such as Motorola, Nixon, Michael Kors, TAG Heuer and Huawei.

“Whether I am practicing, working out or staying in touch with my family and friends back home, Android Wear offers me the best technology to be productive and organized while traveling the world,” said Henderson, the No. 2 ranked female golfer in the world. “As my calendar continues to get busier, I feel so privileged to use Android Wear to stay on schedule and make the most of every minute.”

On the golf course, Henderson will wear the Moto 360 Sport, which is built for training and sports. The Moto 360 Sport includes a built-in heart rate monitor, GPS, hybrid display that makes it easy to read outdoors, and a silicone band. In social and formal settings, she will wear the elegant Huawei Jewel, a premium fashionable smartwatch encrusted with 68 1.5mm Swarovski Zirconia.

Henderson, a Golf Canada National Team alum, won the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic as a 17-year-old to earn LPGA membership. In June, she became the youngest-ever winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a major championship on the LPGA Tour. Last week, she won her third LPGA event by defending her title in Portland. In August, she will represent Canada when golf makes its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games.

Having fun with our new @AndroidWear watches – perfect to stay on top of things during #USWomensOpen! #newsponsor pic.twitter.com/BVlH8ngn86

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) July 5, 2016

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn became the first player to win three straight LPGA Tour events in three years, closing with a 5-under 67 for a five-stroke victory Sunday in the Volvik Championship.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three consecutive tournaments and the first ever to make their first three career victories consecutive.

Jutanugarn finished at 15-under 273 at Travis Pointe after starting the day with a one-shot edge thanks to a closing eagle in the third-round.

Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia. Jutanugarn doesn’t plan to play the next event in New Jersey, where she would have had a shot to become the first since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win four tournaments in a row.

Christina Kim was second after a 71.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot an impressive final round 68 to finish the tournament tied for third at 9 under.

“I missed some opportunities, but I also made up for a couple here on the back nine, so overall I’m happy,” said Henderson. “There’s definitely things I have to work on going into next week, some silly mistakes early in the week and even today a couple, but overall, I’m very happy with how things are going and hopefully, just be able to finish it off in the near future.”

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn tore her scorecard into pieces after walking off the 18th green at Travis Pointe, proving the competition isn’t the only thing she is tearing up.

Jutanugarn moved a step closer to winning a third straight LPGA Tour title by shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead in the Volvik Championship.

She had four back-nine birdies, including No. 18 when her approach went off a hospitality suite and landed in a greenside bunker 20 yards from the hole.

“Hit cut 3-wood and it didn’t cut,” she said.

As Jutanugarn dug her heels into the sand, it sounded as if a spectator dropped something in an elevated viewing area just behind her. She stepped away from the ball, then addressed it again. Clearly unfazed, she blasted out of the bunker well enough to set up a 1-foot putt that pushed her to 11-under 133.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is coming off a win at the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia after becoming the first Thai winner in tour history at the previous tournament in Alabama. She insisted a third straight title isn’t on her mind.

“I’m not thinking about I’m going to win, I’m going to lose,” she said. “But just have fun.”

Second-ranked Inbee Park, who withdrew Thursday with a thumb injury, was the last LPGA Tour player to win three straight tournaments in 2013.

So Yeon Ryu (67), Marina Alex (67) and first-round leader Christina Kim (71) were tied for second.

Jessica Korda (65), Giulia Molinaro (67) and Brittany Lincicome (67) were 7 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 2 under after her second straight 71.

Unlike some of the other top players, Jutanugarn doesn’t have a driver in her bag this week.

The powerful player simply doesn’t need it, outdriving people in her group with 270-yard shots with a 2-iron or 3-wood. Her touch around and on the greens are appear to be superior.

Usually, she keeps an eye on the leaderboard. On Friday, though, she didn’t.

“I forgot,” she said.

If Jutanugarn puts up another low score after her 65-68 start, the remaining field may be relegated to vying for second place.

Kim opened with a 64 for a one-shot lead over Jutanugarn.

Alex pulled into a first-place tie in the morning with her fourth birdie on the front nine, playing a steady game that included hitting the fairways and greens and making the most of opportunities on makeable putts such as the 4-footer on No. 9.

The 163rd-ranked player in the world missed the cut in her first four tournaments this year and hasn’t finished better than ninth in her career.

“There’s really no expectations for the weekend,” she said.

Michelle Wie wasn’t close to the 2-over cut, going 8 over with two 76s. She has missed two straight cuts and three of four and six this year.

Ryu, meanwhile, is one of the many South Koreans having a great year. She tied for 10th at her last two tournaments, was fifth at an event a month ago and has four top-10s in her last six starts.

“I was so close to winning the last three tournaments, the final round wasn’t good enough to get the trophies so I was really disappointed in myself,” she said. “But the good thing is, I just kept in contention, just kept fighting. I really want to hold this and I really want to keep my positive mind until Sunday.”

A 5-under 67 performance saw Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson climb into a tie for tenth place. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., is T37 at 1-under, while Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City sits T58. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp will not advance to the weekend. Sherbrooke, Que., product Maude-Aimée LeBlanc was forced to withdraw.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Minjee Lee won the Lotte Championship on Saturday for her second LPGA Tour title, closing with an 8-under 64 for a one-stroke victory.

The 19-year-old Australian played a seven-hole stretch in 6 under with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 13th and four birdies. She rebounded from a third-round 74 to finish at 16-under 272 at Ko Olina.

“Yesterday I spoke to my coach and he was like, ‘You’re only five back. Just shoot 8 under and you’ll be fine,'” Lee said. “And I shot 8 under, so that was good.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 10th at 10 under to extend her top-10 streak to seven events. The 18-year-old closed with a 68.

Third-round leader Katie Burnett and U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun tied for second.

Lee made an 11-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th and got up-and-down for par from short of the green on the par-4 18th, holing a 6-foot putt.

“I think after I went eagle-birdie-birdie, I think the second birdie I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be really close,” said Lee, projected to move up 17th to 12th in the world ranking. “I just did all I could do, and here I am.”

She won the Kingsmill Championship last year in Virginia.

“Definitely a big confidence boost,” Lee said. “Last couple of weeks I was there, but not quite there. Now my game seems to be coming together really well.”

Burnett shot a 70. She lost the lead with a three-putt bogey on the par-3 16th, then missed a 6-foot birdie try on 17 and a long birdie putt on 18. The 26-year-old Georgia player, winless on the tour, led most of the day, going bogey-free for 40 holes before dropping a shot at No. 7.

“I don’t think I gave it away by any means,” Burnett said. “That’s something, last year I struggled in the final rounds, especially when I had been playing well. So, to have played well today was really good for me. … I don’t necessarily feel like I lost the tournament. I feel like Minjee just won it. Eight under, I mean, that’s pretty solid.”

Chun finished with a 67, missing a 16-foot birdie try on 18.

“Very tricky on the green,” Chun said. “I try enjoy my game, so I’m still happy.”

She tied for second for the second straight event after sitting out a month because of a back injury. She was hurt when she was struck by a hard-case suitcase that rival South Korean player Ha Na Jang’s father dropped down an escalator at the Singapore airport.

Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn was fourth at 14 under after a 68.

Su-Yeon Jang was another stroke back after a 71. Playing on a sponsor exemption, the 21-year-old South Korean player was coming off a victory last week in the Korean LPGA event sponsored by Lotte.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko shot a 69 to tie for 23rd, her worst finish of the year, at 5 under. Ko won her last two starts in California and also has two seconds, a third and a tie for 15th this season. She will try to defend her title at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic next week in California.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton equaled her fellow Canadian’s final-round 68 to finish T39 at 3-under-par. Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale closed with a 77 to finish in 72nd place.

Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson is coming off a breakthrough rookie season. She’s hoping to build off it as she aims for bigger things in 2016 and beyond.

“I’m looking to get a few more wins on the LPGA Tour and hopefully a major championship within the next couple of years,” Henderson said. “I know that requires a lot of hard work and improvement on my behalf and a solid week (at each event). But I know it’s possible and I’m just looking forward to getting the chance to do it.”

Henderson will begin her season this week at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. The US$1.4-million tournament begins Thursday at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.

As a 17-year-old without full-time status, Henderson had an unpredictable first half of the season last year. She often had to rely on sponsor exemptions and qualification rounds to enter tournaments.

Things changed last August when she blew away the field at the Cambia Portland Classic to win her first LPGA Tour event by eight strokes. Henderson was immediately given full Tour membership and can now play a full schedule without the hassle of chaotic travel plans and the grind of qualifiers.

“I want to go out and make a good name for myself and see if I can make a long career out of it,” Henderson said in a recent interview.

After spending the holiday season in her hometown of Smiths Falls, Ont., Henderson has spent the last few weeks preparing for the season at the Indigo Lakes Golf Club in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Henderson rocketed over 200 spots in the world rankings last year before settling at the No. 18 position. She’s hoping improvements to her short game will help get her into the top 10.

“I want to make sure that around the green I’m very consistent,” she said. “Especially against the top (players) in the world. They’re so good. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that if I could improve a little bit, it’s definitely around the green. So I’ve been working hard on that and just getting my mental game up to where it should be.”

Canadian women’s national team coach Tristan Mullally has worked with Henderson over the last four years. He thinks one of her strongest assets is that she’s not limited to one particular style – she can remain consistent regardless of the course.

“More variety of shots. She is powerful. She’s not one of the longest hitters in the game but she’s consistently in the right place in the fairways,” he said. “Her overall length compared to the others is probably very close to the top 25 or 30 in terms of length. But she’s higher (with her) accuracy.”

Henderson is also a virtual lock to represent Canada when golf makes its return to the Olympic program at the Summer Games in August.

“Rio is definitely one that really stands out,” Henderson said of the tournaments this season. “Being able to play in the Olympics and represent your country is an unbelievable experience that I’m really excited for. Along with that, there are five other majors on the LPGA Tour, which definitely stand out and are weeks when I want a peak performance.”

Some of Henderson’s best results have come at major events. She finished tied for fifth at both the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open last year.

“After the season I had last year, I know anything is possible,” she said. “Like I said there’s a lot of hard work that still needs to be done and little improvements. But it’s exciting to be in the position that I am … I’ve been given a gift and I want to make the most of it.”

Depending on how things work out, she could play in over 30 events this season.

“I think it’s a pretty remarkable story,” Mullally said. “And this year because she’s going to be able to plan her schedule, because there is a more consistent way to go about things, her preparation will just be better.”

Sei Young Kim of South Korea is the defending champion at this week’s Tour stop. Henderson finished in a tie for 33rd place last year.

Richmond Hill, Ont. — A new year may be just beginning, but it’s not too early to look forward to the upcoming Olympic Games. The Games begin in August, but BMW Group Canada took advantage of the kick-off to 2016 as a means to introduce Team BMW, a group of six high-performance Canadian athletes aiming to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.  Support for Team BMW athletes will be on various levels in an extension of the company’s role as National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team.

Passionate about performance and driven to succeed, Team BMW brings the BMW spirit to life.  This group of athletes represents the essence of the BMW Group in human form: efficient performance, innovation, power and grace.  BMW Group Canada is proud to support each of these athletes on their road to success.

BMW Group Canada announced its partnership with the Canadian Olympic Team in January of 2013. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, the company and its retailers have since provided athlete support and generated funds that go towards specialized programs, sports medicine, coaching and travel, among other items. This Olympic year will see those efforts continue, with Team BMW being only the beginning.

Team BMW consists of the following athletes:

• Roseline Filion, 10m Synchronized Diving: Roseline and diving partner Meaghan Benfeito have been one of the best 10m teams in the world since 2005. Reaching Rio would be Roseline’s third Olympic Games. She currently holds gold, bronze and silver medals from various competitions including the Olympic Games, the Pan Am Games, and World Championships.
• Meaghan Benfeito, 10m Synchronized Diving: Diving partner of Roseline Filion, Meaghan began diving at age seven.  In her second Olympic Games at London 2012, the pair won bronze. She has won multiple medals at other multi-sport games, including the 2011 Pan Am Games where she won silver with Filion and bronze individually. In 2014, she was a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10m and 10m synchro events.
• Mark de Jonge, 200m Sprint Kayak: Mark has come a long way since learning to “just stay upright” in a kayak.  Earning a bronze medal at his Olympic debut in London 2012, Mark has proven himself to be a resilient and focused athlete. In 2015, he successfully defended his world championship gold medal, making him the first man to win back-to-back titles since 2003.
• Derek Drouin, High Jump: At his first Olympic Games in London 2012, Derek was part of a three-way tie for bronze after clearing 2.29m. It was Canada’s first Olympic high jump medal since 1976. In 2013, he won bronze at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, and in 2014, he became one of 12 men in history to jump the height of 2.40m, breaking his own Canadian record. This past summer, he won gold at the Pan Am Games, followed by another gold at the World Track and Field Championships.
• Ryan Cochrane, 400m and 1,500m Freestyle Swimming: Ryan is one of Canada’s most-decorated swimmers ever.  His six medals at the FINA World Championships are the most ever earned by a Canadian swimmer. He is also just the second person to reach the podium in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events at three straight Worlds, winning a total of four silver and two bronze. His Olympic history includes a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and a silver medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
• Brooke Henderson, Golf: Brooke Henderson made history in September, 2014 when she became the first Canadian to be ranked number one in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings. With more than 50 amateur victories to her credit, she turned pro in December, 2014.  She then earned her first pro win at the 2015 Four Winds Invitational in June, becoming the third-youngest winner in Symetra Tour history. In December, 2015, she was named the Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year, and is on track to represent Canada as golf makes it return to the Olympic Games in Rio.

“I know I speak for our retailers and associates nationwide when I say how proud I am to help Canadian athletes drive towards their Olympic dreams,” said Kevin Marcotte, Marketing Director, BMW Canada.  “The BMW Group and the Olympic Movement share many common values, which makes our partnership resonate with every one of us. Supporting the Canadian Olympic Team enables us to give back to our community in a unique and fulfilling way by supporting athletes from coast to coast. It is an honour and a pleasure to assist these six athletes in their quest for the podium.”

“BMW has been an outstanding partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and we are honoured to continue our partnership with them,” said Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “Both of our organizations strive for high-performance and we look forward to seeing Ryan, Meaghan, Roseline, Mark, Derek and Brooke, with BMW’s support, bring this shared value to life on the road to Rio.”

“I’ve appreciated BMW products for quite some time,” said Olympic bronze medallist Mark de Jonge.  “As an engineer, I really appreciate the innovation built into them.  Having BMW as a partner has inspired me to look at my paddle differently and helped me to think differently about how I approach my sport.”

“I’m so happy to have a partner like BMW,” said Roseline Filion, Olympic bronze medallist.  “Sponsorships help fuel the entire athlete.  From food to training to transportation, the support is very much appreciated.  My BMW X3 helps me get to all of my appointments and training and home to visit my parents.  It helps me live the slightly hectic life of an athlete in training a bit more easily.”

BMW Group Canada is proud to partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and will showcase Team BMW on bmw.ca. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, BMW’s partnership will provide athlete support and generate fundraising opportunities for the team.

TORONTO – In a year in which Brooke Henderson stole the show in Canadian golf, she can add two more honours to her trophy case.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Henderson, David Hearn, Corey Conners, and Maddie Szeryk are the 2015 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Henderson’s spectacular first season as a professional was also named the Canadian Golf Story of the Year.

“GJAC is thrilled to honour these wonderful golfers in 2015,” said Grant Fraser, GJAC President. “The accomplishments of the winners – and each of the nominees – show that Canadian golf is in very good hands.”

Henderson became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour since Lorie Kane in 2001 after capturing the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots. At 17 years, 11 months, and 6 days old, she was the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history and was granted LPGA Tour membership in August. The native of Smiths Falls, Ontario also defended her title at the 2015 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and notched one victory (with five top-10’s in five events played) on the Symetra Tour. Henderson ended the year 17th on the Rolex Rankings – the official world ranking of female professional golfers.

Her choice as Female Professional of the Year was a unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, David Hearn – who’s run at the RBC Canadian Open was another nominee for Canadian Golf Story of the Year – was named Male Professional of the Year. Hearn is Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer, and nearly won twice on the PGA Tour in 2015. He held the 54-hole lead at the Canadian Open, and then lost in a playoff at The Greenbrier Classic. The 36-year-old finished 55th in the FedEx Cup standings and earned $1.8 million – his highest total ever as a professional.

Corey Conners was named the Male Amateur of the Year for the third year in a row in a tight vote with Blair Hamilton and Garrett Rank. After finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Amateur in 2014, Conners participated in The Masters where he played the first two rounds with Mike Weir. The 23-year-old finished as low amateur before announcing he would turn professional. He was ranked 21st on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking prior to turning pro.

Maddie Szeryk was named Female Amateur of the Year after finishing first on Golf Canada’s National Women’s Order of Merit. The Golf Canada national team member is currently ranked no.38 (first in Canada) on the Official World Amateur Golf Ranking. The 19-year-old is set to graduate from Texas A&M in 2018, and in her first collegiate season, she was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.

TORONTO – Red-eye flights, pre-tournament qualifiers and last-minute travel plans were often the norm for golfer Brooke Henderson in her first season as a professional.

At the start of the year, she hoped to post some decent results and use her rookie campaign as a learning experience. Henderson did much more than that in 2015 – she became the first Canadian to win on the LPGA Tour in more than a decade and rocketed into the top 20 in the world rankings.

Not bad for someone who just celebrated her 18th birthday a few months ago.

Henderson capped her impressive season Monday by winning the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press female athlete of the year. She picked up 21 votes (37 per cent) in the annual survey of editors and broadcasters from across the country.

“I’m hoping this is just the start of a pretty long career, and one where I can chase after some bigger dreams and goals that I’ve set for myself,” Henderson said. “Really I think that there are no limits and I think anything is possible. My 2015 year proves that it’s true _ that anything is possible.”

Soccer player Kadeisha Buchanan was well back in second place in the voting with 10 votes (17 per cent). Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard won the award the last two years.

Henderson is the first golfer to capture the honour since Lorie Kane in 2000. Kane was also the last Canadian to win on the Tour until Henderson blew away the field at the Cambia Portland Classic in August to end Canada’s 14-year victory drought.

The youngster from Smiths Falls, Ont., needed to play in a qualifier just to enter the tournament field that week. She showed she belonged by finishing with a whopping eight-shot victory.

“A couple days I was playing there and I was thinking back to when I would just kind of daydream when I was little,” she said. “I was looking at my putt on the green and I could see the hole and the ball and I could see the fans around the green. They were kind of blurred and it was just exactly how I pictured it when I was little. I was like, ‘Wow, you know what, this is my dream.”’

Henderson, who also posted fifth-place ties at two major events last season, was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.

“The LPGA Tour win – that was really the pinnacle of the season,” she said. “It was when I was playing my best and I was able to secure my LPGA Tour card and get my first LPGA Tour victory. (The year) as a whole was a result of a lot of hard work and it was just something where everything came together and I thank God for that.

“It was just a miracle year really.”

Henderson will be able to play a full Tour schedule next year and make her plans well ahead of time. Gone are the days of needing sponsor invitations or travelling overnight to make it to the course in time for morning qualification rounds.

“I wanted to play against the best in the world,” she said. “Most of the times when I was doing that, I wasn’t a member and I didn’t really have anywhere else to play. I was trying to make my way onto the Tour and trying to make my mark. It was something that I knew I had to do and it was exciting to know that I could have a chance to do something amazing.”

Henderson finished the season ranked 18th in the world – a jump of over 200 positions from a year ago – with over US$100,000 in official LPGA earnings and more than $700,000 in combined earnings as a pro.

“Already a top-flight golfer at such a young age,” said Red Deer Advocate sports editor Greg Meachem. “Proved she can compete – and be successful – against the best of the best in a global sport.”

Canadian women’s team coach Tristan Mullally, who has worked with Henderson since she was 14, said she’s a remarkably steady ball striker with the accuracy to be consistent on different types of golf courses.

“When you combine those two, that makes for a pretty potent recipe,” Mullally said.

Henderson hopes to start strong early in the 2016 season with a goal of cracking the top 10 in the world rankings. She’s also a virtual lock to play for Canada when golf makes it return to the Olympic program at the Rio Games in August.

“I still have many years ahead of me and I’m working hard for 2016 and the years after that,” she said. “But this award for 2015 is definitely something I’m proud of and I’ll be very honoured to accept.”

TORONTO – Brooke Henderson had two dreams come true this year: she became a member of the LPGA Tour and won her first tournament at that level.

She’s setting her sights even higher in 2016.

Henderson hopes to continue her ascent on the top women’s professional golf circuit and also lead Canada to the podium when the sport makes its return to the Olympic program next summer in Rio.

She got a chance to learn more about the Olympic experience at this week’s Canadian Olympic Committee symposium at a downtown Toronto hotel. Watching promotional videos of fellow Canadians winning medals and hearing the national anthem has her counting down the days until the 2016 Games.

“Every time I watch those videos, I get goose bumps. My blood runs crazy,” Henderson said Thursday. “It’s an amazing opportunity that I have just to play in the Olympics and to play on the LPGA Tour.

“They’re both dreams that I’ve had since I was young and now this year is the first year that I can achieve both of those.”

Henderson, a former top-ranked amateur, showed this past season that she was the real deal. She finished third at the Swinging Skirts LPGA stop last April before picking up fifth-place ties at the Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.

Her statement performance came in August at the Cambia Portland Classic, when she blew away the field with a whopping eight-stroke victory.

Henderson was about three weeks shy of her 18th birthday at the time. She was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.

The teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., has since climbed to No. 18 on the Tour’s ranking list. Henderson is planning a full schedule in 2016 and plans to treat the Games like the sixth major of the season.

“The Olympics is a dream that I had as a little girl,” she said. “I didn’t know what sport or what I was going to do or how I was going to get there. But I wanted to be in the Olympics and I wanted to share the same passion as all these other athletes that I watched on TV in the Winter and Summer Games.

“So Rio is in August, it’s going to be a long summer and it’s going to be a long season. But it’s definitely something that I want to peak for and I want to represent Canada as best as I can.”

Sixty golfers will compete in the four-round women’s stroke play competition at the Aug. 5-21 Games. Golf was last played at the Olympics in 1904.

“I’ve won on the LPGA Tour, I’ve competed against the best in the world, I know (Olympic success) is possible,” Henderson said. “Hopefully if I can move my ranking up a little bit more, I’ll be seen as a contender in Rio.”

Official player nominations aren’t expected to be made until July, but Henderson is a virtual lock for the Canadian team. She’s looking forward to the pressure and the high expectations.

“It’s fun to have because you’re expected to do great things,” she said. “I’m really excited to go and represent my country and be the best that I can be.”